Agricultural trench depth systems, methods, and apparatus

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for adjusting the depth of a trench opened by a row unit of an agricultural planter. The row unit includes a trench depth adjustment assembly configured to modify the furrow depth. In one embodiment, the depth adjustment assembly may include a gear box having one or more gears which engage with a gear rack. The gear box may be pivotally connected to a depth adjustment body supporting a rocker that adjusts upward travel of gauge wheel arms. In another embodiment, the depth adjustment assembly may include a depth adjustment arm having a screw receiver that cooperates with a driven screw that adjusts the position of the depth adjustment arm acting on the gauge wheels to adjust trench depth.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An agricultural row unit, comprising:
 a row unit frame; 
 a furrow opening disc rotatably supported by said row unit frame for opening a furrow in a soil surface as the row unit frame advances in a forward direction of travel; 
 a gauge wheel disposed adjacent to said furrow opening disc and pivotably supported from said row unit frame by a gauge wheel arm such that said gauge wheel is displaceable with respect to said furrow opening disc; 
 a depth adjustment assembly, comprising:
 a depth adjustment body pivotaly connected via a pivot to said row unit frame; 
 a gear rack disposed on said row unit frame; 
 a gear box connected to said depth adjustment body, said gear box driving a gear in engagement with said gear rack to adjustably position said depth adjustment body to control a depth of the furrow opened by the furrow opening disc by limiting an amount of upward displacement of said gauge wheel with respect to said furrow opening disc. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein the gear is a pinion. 
     
     
       3. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein the gear is a worm gear. 
     
     
       4. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein said gear is driven by an electric motor. 
     
     
       5. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein said gear rack has a surface with a changing distance to a distance sensor disposed on said gear rack. 
     
     
       6. The agricultural row unit of  claim 5 , wherein said changing distance of said surface is with respect to teeth on said gear rack. 
     
     
       7. The agricultural row unit of  claim 5 , wherein said changing distance of said surface is with respect to a distance between a side surface of said gear rack and said gear box. 
     
     
       8. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein said gear box further comprises wheels disposed to ride on a shelf disposed on said gear rack. 
     
     
       9. The agricultural row unit of  claim 8 , wherein said wheels are disposed to ride on an under side of said shelf. 
     
     
       10. The agricultural row unit of  claim 9 , wherein a biasing member is disposed in said depth adjustment body, said depth adjustment body is connected to said gear box via a shaft, said shaft is connected to said gear box and disposed into said depth adjustment body, and said biasing member biases said shaft towards said gear box. 
     
     
       11. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein a biasing member is disposed in said depth adjustment body, said depth adjustment body is connected to said gear box via a shaft, said shaft is connected to said gear box and disposed into said depth adjustment body, and said biasing member biases said gear box towards said gear rack. 
     
     
       12. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein said gear box comprises a worm gear and a wheel gear. 
     
     
       13. The agricultural row unit of  claim 12 , wherein said worm gear and said wheel gear are manufactured from powdered metal, and said wheel gear comprises a right wheel and a left wheel. 
     
     
       14. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein:
 wherein a biasing member is disposed in said depth adjustment body, said depth adjustment body is connected to said gear box via a shaft, said shaft is connected to said gear box and disposed into said depth adjustment body, and said biasing member biases said shaft towards said gear box; 
 wherein said gear box further comprises wheels disposed to ride on a shelf disposed on said gear rack, and said wheels are disposed to ride on an under side of said shelf; 
 wherein said gear rack has a ledge with a changing distance with respect to teeth on said gear rack; and 
 a distance sensor disposed on said gear box to sense a change in distance to said ledge. 
 
     
     
       15. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein said gear rack further comprises at least one protrusion on an under side of said gear rack for engagement with a depth adjustment notch on said row unit. 
     
     
       16. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1  further comprising a rocker connected to said depth adjustment body to an end opposite to said gear box, wherein said rocker adjusts upward travel of gauge wheel arms. 
     
     
       17. The agricultural row unit of  claim 1 , wherein said gear box and said depth adjustment body are a single part. 
     
     
       18. An agricultural row unit comprising:
 a row unit frame configured to open a furrow having a furrow depth; 
 a depth adjustment arm disposed through said row unit from a rear of said row unit to a front of said row unit along a direction of travel of said row unit, wherein said depth adjustment arm has a screw receiver disposed on said depth adjustment arm at said rear of said row unit; 
 a screw disposed in said screw receiver and through said rear of said row unit; 
 a rocker disposed on said depth adjustment arm at the front of said row unit, said rocker acting on gauge wheel arms to adjust the furrow depth; 
 a depth adjustment assembly coupled to said screw opposite of said screw receiver, said depth adjustment assembly comprising: an electric motor driving a gear box turning a shaft that is coupled to said screw. 
 
     
     
       19. The agricultural row unit of  claim 18 , wherein said depth adjustment assembly is attached to said row unit with a bracket. 
     
     
       20. The agricultural row unit of  claim 19 , wherein as said rocker is moved towards the front of said row unit, furrow depth increases, and as said rocker is moved away from the front of said row unit, furrow depth decreases.